Mid August 2017 and Hot Rockets singer/guitarist Steve Scott had a vision to create a band, the idea was it had to be powerful and had to have an old school punk vibe.
He contacted Heath Waterfield , who shared his ideas , Heath got in touch with Paul Reynolds and the band was formed.
Locked in a practise room, the band built a good bulk of songs , the songs had the sound of that old punk vibe of the Ramones and a hint of Black Sabbath.
The band were kept under wraps till early 2018 where the band made there live debut at the fleece in Whitby, where the band were well received.
Since their debut they have been gigging solidly , with high energy performances, making people sit up and taking note.
The band entered the studio in late may 2018 and with the help of Gary Pennick. The debut E.P. ‘We Have Ignition’ was born and was released in late August 2018 on Nunny Dave Records.
The E.P. has done well earning radio play on BBC Radio York, BBC Tees , Moor and Coast Radio and has gained them support slots with The Anti-Nowhere League, The Vibrators , 999 , Sham 69 , The Lurkers, plus several dates around the UK the band continue to build up their reputation as a hard working live band.
Hot Rockets are looking forward to hitting the road again and show you what they are made of...
Meet The Hot Rockets
Steve Scott (Guitar/Lead Vocals)
My grandma was a piano teacher. I can't remember a time that I couldn't play instruments. I'm fluent in it. I'm just 'one of those smug types' that can play mostly everything.
During my childhood in Hong Kong I had a very famous music teacher called 'Mr. Speed' who filled me in on what my grandma couldn't , I travelled to England in 1988.
In 1989 I started a Thrash band called 'Matricide' in Taunton (Somerset). I continued playing lead with them until 1991 when I received a call to audition as frontman for a hair metal band called Sweet Sixteen in North Yorkshire. Sweet Sixteen turned into Raggity Anne where I played guitar and sang.
We recorded 6 albums, signed up to BossTuneage (EMI) and relocated to Nuneaton. We played just over 1,000 shows with various levels of success.
In 1999 I disbanded 'Raggity Anne' relocated to Whitby and formed 'The Forefathers' who recorded 4 self financed albums. The Forefathers were not willing to go the extra mile, so I disbanded them in 2015 and put together Genetix UK.
Genetix UK was my all family affair where I took position on the drums and backing vocal. When the band (inevitably) broke up in 2017, put together Hot Rockets and between Paul, Heath and myself-we set it on fire!!
Finally. After over 2,000 shows and 13 albums. I got it right. I have always been the main songwriter and am finally satisfied with their fruition of my material.
Heath Waterfield (Bass)
In 1986 I was in a music collective called ‘The Underground Experience’ which played mainly covers. This was my very first time playing bass. On my first gig I played one song ‘She’s Lost Control’ by the legendary Joy Division.
After this myself and a few mates formed a band called MOD where we played mostly original material with a couple of covers thrown in. We gigged as MOD for about a year.
After MOD I played in a band called Men and Beasts which again was all our own original material. Men And Beasts were lucky enough to support Chumbawamba, Culture Shock and Blythe Power to name a few.
When I left Men And Beasts I joined Log Feast, who were an experimental outfit which mainly tried to upset their crowds but this backfired and we gained a good following of fans. After Log Feast I playing in a band called The Fish Shakers who were an acapella style shambles.
After taking a few years break doing other things I started a band called Sludge Ghaut. Sludge Ghaut played their own style of grunge to audiences up and down the country and gained a good following. The next band I played in was Friends Of Dorothy who were an indie band and again we gigged extensively in the UK. I then joined Dead Girls Are Easy who were an industrial/grunge outfit. We only did one show and then went our separate ways. The John Does were my next project and we did a few gigs but other commitments meant I left the band.
My first encounter with Steve Scott was when I was in The Frictions with him. The Frictions were a covers band playing pop and 60’s songs mixed up with a few of our own original songs for good measure.
Then Paul Reynolds came into my musical life trying to get a grunge covers band off the ground but that didn't make it out of the rehearsal room.
A few months passed and I saw a Facebook advertisement from Steve Scott asking if anyone was interested in putting a 3-piece punk band together. I then approached Paul Reynolds to see if he was interested…...and the birth of Hot Rockets. The rest is history
Paul Reynolds (Drums)
I started playing drums when I was 13 years old. Listening to music in my mum and dads house was always a big thing , my mum was mad on Queen , At that time I'd just discovered thrash metal and was mad on bands like Metallica, Slayer etc.
made the decision that I wanted to play the drums, my mum and dad were supportive but said I had to work to get my first kit , I worked all summer until I had enough money to buy my own kit and gradually taught my self to play.
I jammed with a few covers bands but lost interest at 16. 17 years passed before I would play again. A friend of mine bought a drum kit and wanted it setting up so i went round and did it.
The next thing I know I'm in a proper covers band called Gross Misconduct. We were doing really well until some of the guys had kids and the band wrapped up.
It was a few years later in was approached by a guy called Mark Atkinson who asked if I wanted to jam. I met up with Nigel Bennion and Doofus was born , we gigged locally but after time the other members wanted to peruse other projects.
I was then approached by a guy called Adam Hayes wanting to do a grunge covers band , sadly this didn't amount to anything but one good thing came out of it I met Heath ( Hot Rockets bassist).
We locked in musically and both made a pact that of anything musically in the future came up we would contact each other, that came the back end of 2017 where I was introduced to Steve, we jammed and Hot Rockets was born. This bands exciting and I'm proud to be apart of it looking forward to what the future holds.
Discography
WE HAVE IGNITION (Released 2018)
PLANET IN THE SKY (First Pressing 2020) (Second Pressing 2021)
Links
Facebook www.facebook.com/hotrockets77/
YouTube www.youtube.com/channel/UCXCunctnxpwNL_irkxcxdEQ
Instagram www.instagram.com/hot_rockets/
Spotify www.open.spotify.com/artist/6fJoE8tHxUNSVV9VvPHTSN?si=XhkvMGvS8-RWhCmJXVV-A
Live Reviews
‘Ever since I started going to gigs I’ve made a point of getting there early to catch the support acts, and I’ve discovered lots of good bands that way.
The latest ‘find’ to add to my list are Hot Rockets, a punk-influenced three-piece from Whitby, North Yorkshire, who opened for Reno Divorce at Trillian’s.
They’re not a punk band per se, but they do make a glorious dirty rock ‘n’ roll racket, delivered with real conviction and no little musical proficiency.
Steve on guitar and vocals, Heath on bass and Paul on drums played a 12-song set of original material which went down well with the Wednesday night crowd.
They wear their influences on their sleeve – early Ramones, Sex Pistols, and a bit of Black Sabbath – and they wear them well.
Formed in mid-2017, they are getting a good reputation through steady gigging, and some decent support slots with the likes of Anti-Nowhere League and The Vibrators.
Lizard Queen – dedicated to the Royal family – is, for me, their standout song, with its sleazy vocals and Sabbath riffing.
But there’s plenty more to enjoy, such as the urgent Breakdown (no relation to the Buzzcocks song of the same name), Head Full Of Cartoons, Local, and the closing Hot Rockets.’
Gary Welford - IPA Music
Music Reviews
‘A North Yorkshire trio that remind me of The Wildhearts meets the late 70’s punk era
It’s pretty heavy duty with raw vocals on this 6 tracker and notable tracks on here are the very singalong like ‘See You Fall’ with a cool melodic riff to it; the humorously titled ‘Head Full Of Cartoons’ with the snarly, narly lyrics that gets a thumbs up early on for mentioning Scooby Doo!
Cut holes in your speakers and crank ‘em hgh!’
Glenn Milligan, Metalliville, 8/10
Management And Booking
Contact
Andy Turner
Website
www.pure-power.co.uk